by Kent Sterling
Add one more thing to the list of things Len Kasper does a whole lot right as the Cubs TV play-by-play voice. He calls the action in an authentically enthusiastic way, and he never elevates his performance beyond the needs of the audience.
He is enough of a fan to call out the Cubs for poor play, and impartial enough to keep his job. Walking to line between being a pro and a homer is tough, but the best make it sound easy, and Kasper is the best of the next generation of broadcasters with whom fans spend time watching live sporting events.
I liked him even more yesterday when he put an announcer whammy on Cubs lefty Travis Wood, who through four innings had yet to allow a baserunner. I tweeted about it, because how the hell else am I going to complain about the Cubs alone on the back deck on a Thursday? Of course, Wood gave up a hit in the fifth.
@LenKasper puts whammy on Travis Wood by saying he has not allowed a baserunner thru four. Has he learned nothing from Jim Nantz. #Cubs
— Kent Sterling (@KentSterling) May 2, 2013
Not long after the hit, analyst Jim Deshaies alluded to a Keith Moreland jinx, and Kasper grumbled a little bit. Deshaies asked what was wrong, and Kasper said that he was being killed on Twitter for the jinx. It was a little like having Jack Brickhouse congratulate me on my birthday, or Cubs GM Dallas Green quoted in the Tribune about a message I left him at his hotel during the 1983 Baseball Winter Meetings for trading Carmelo Martinez, Craig Lefferts, and Fritz Connally for Scott Sanderson.
And then I got his tweet, which I enjoyed.
@KentSterling Yup, funny how it didn't ruin Z's no-no. I guess Carlos was the only pitcher who didn't have headphones on!
— Len Kasper (@LenKasper) May 2, 2013
I replied to him, and he retweeted.
@LenKasper If you would have jinxed Carlos in Spanish, it would have ended in the fifth like Wood's. #Cubs
— Kent Sterling (@KentSterling) May 2, 2013
So, like some kind of schoolboy, I like Kasper even better because he spoke to me through Twitter. That’s a lesson about the power of social media, and a barometer for how easily a little attention wins me over.
While the tweets were a nice surprise, they did nothing to affect my respect for Kasper’s skill as a broadcaster. He came into the booth at Wrigley as a pro who made afternoons watching the Cubs very pleasant, and he hasn’t changed a bit. He’s an excellent link to Jack Quinlan, Brickhouse, Vince Lloyd, and Harry Caray who’ve been a huge part of the Cubs popularity during years like this one when the baseball isn’t good enough to compel us to watch.
When the Reds play the Cubs and I get tired of listening to a certain 2nd generation announcer on the Reds telecast, I often switch over to WGN and listen to Len. I agree. He is definitely a top-notch broadcaster.